Lot's of conflicting things... or so it may seem. I kind of label them all under one thing.

Self exploration!

So before I get into the boring stuff, I'll say what needs to be said. My real name is Chad, I'm 18, and Japanese... half anyway. My life is very different from that of most teenagers my age. I've identified with the "furry" fandom for about three years now and that definitely turned my life around from being a suicidal and confused kid to being the optimistic, bubbly, and open individual I consider myself today! If you have any grudges against the fandom, I sincerely hope that doesn't affect judgement of me, but if it does, so be it, and oh yeah, just don't talk to me! Simple!

This past year, I've been thinking a lot about why not only I, but others appreciate being furry and why we think it's a great thing. It all comes down to psychology! It's our inner desire to explore something we like and become that who you want to be, much like cosplaying. Both fandoms play their parts and explore themselves as people. We still have a lot to learn about ourselves, and we learn through personas, fursonas, and alternate egos! I won't go much into my alternate "fursona" besides the fact that I like being called Hiké. That's hee-kay!

Through time, I've learned to love my body and realize that it can take a girly figure. I took that to my advantage and learned to love things like short shorts, stockings, and other (mostly risqué) articles of clothing that identified as girly. I always feel so empowered at a convention trotting around in short shorts, stockings, and an itty bitty vest that shows off my tummy.

Lately though, drag has piqued my interest lately. A lot of my friends told me to watch RuPaul's Drag Race. I heard a lot about it for a couple years, but never took the time to actually watch it. A couple days ago, I started watching it for the hell of it, and learned that drag isn't weird at all... in fact, it's much like fursuiting or cosplaying! It's exploring yourself with an alternate ego, and I always love learning about myself with a twist and challenge! My friend decided to point me here, so here I am.